Her name was Barbara, but we always called her "Babs". I'm not sure who came up with that name, but it was one of those rare nicknames that immediately stuck. As a matter of fact, I even heard another teacher call her that one day, and got a big grin out of it. It seemed we had named a teacher!!
Babs was our chorus teacher. My first year of high school (it was waaaaaay back in 1973) was her first year of teaching, so she was only about 8 years older than me. She was one of those rare teachers that has the innate ability to make a student want to do his best. It was truly a gift. Most teachers haven't a clue how to keep their students awake, much less motivate them, but she really brought the best out of us. I know that music isn't exactly Quantum Mechanics in the hierarchy of academics, but she took a bunch of horny, pimply-faced, high school students and made us sing like a choir of angels. She was just that good. And oh, what a voice she had. Boy, could that woman sing!! She had the most beautiful contralto that God ever put upon the earth. The Carpenters were very popular back then, and occasionally I would walk into class and she'd be singing on of their songs, and I would just about die. To this day, if I hear one of the Carpenter's songs on the radio, I still get a boner!!! The fact that she was drop-dead, trip over your tongue while it drools, slice-your-dick-off-with-a-dull-dime-just-to-stand-next-to-her gorgeous, was merely a bonus, we'd have loved her if she looked like Quasimoto. (Of course, that would have also made this story a lot less interesting, but I digress. )
I think the thing I remember most about her was her hair. Flame red, incredibly thick, and fell down her back in soft curls when she had it down. At school, it was always put up in a bun, but on the odd occasion that I got to see it... Wow. She was nicely constructed too. She was of medium height, maybe 5' 7", with a slender build, and that peaches and cream complexion that only natural red heads are blessed with. Of all of her endearing physical qualities, my personal favorite was her always more-or-less erect, and apparently very long, nipples. (This is of course, of great importance to any teen-age boy!!) You could see those bad boys through a bra, a sweat-shirt, and a flak jacket if she had worn one!! We always referred to them as "Babs' Hi-Beams", and oh, how we all loved them.
We used to hang around at Babs' house sometimes. One day we called her up early on a Saturday, and asked her to go to a local amusement park with us. She whined about us calling her so early, crawled out of bed, threw on some jeans, and went with us! That's just the kind of person she was. She just had a way of making you feel comfortable around her. We'd drop by her house unannounced, and she never minded. Her husband was a pretty good guy too, and never minded a bunch of knuckleheads hanging around. She knew our troubles, our dreams and our hopes. At school though, she was very much in charge, and she knew when a good, swift kick in the butt was called for, but she also knew when a gentle word of encouragement would do the trick too.
Well, the four years of high school went by pretty quickly as they always do. (For one of my friends, it was MORE than 4 years!! The two hardest years of Mike's life was 11th grade!!) I went off to college on an NROTC scholarship, and all of the gang that hung around together went their separate ways, as people do. I made it a point though, to never lose touch with Babs. Whenever I was home from college, I would at least give her a phone call, and once in a while, we'd go out to lunch.
Fast forward to 1985. I managed to graduate from college, and by this time was a hard charging, ready to take on the world, U. S. Navy Lieutenant. I had been through flight school and was a Radar Intercept Officer. (Remember "Goose" in "Top Gun"? I had his job, and it was a blast!) Also by this time, I had ended a rather painful, but blessedly brief marriage. I had done lot of growing done over those few years, and even better, lived to tell the tale!! One fine spring day, I found myself back in my hometown. I was working briefly with the local Navy recruiter, and managed an afternoon off. By this time, I hadn't talked to Babs in a couple of years, and I was determined not to lose touch with her. So, I went over to the high school just as the school day was ending, and walked into the chorus hall.
There she was, and she looked great. I swear, she hadn't aged a day in the 12 years that I had known her. I slowly opened the door, and when she heard it creak, she looked up from her desk. A big smile went across her face, and she immediately started busting my balls!!
"I really must speak to those security guards about keeping the riff-raff out!!!" she said as she got up from her desk and ran over to give me a hug. "Riff-raff"? Is that how you speak to one of the defenders of your country??" I replied , and we both laughed. She looked down up and down at my uniform. "Jeez, Steve, look at you. All dressed up like an Ice-cream man!! (I was wearing my Whites. ) And where did you get those Gold Wings? The claw machine at the county fair"!!?? We were both laughing. "Such a wise guy, you are. It's a miracle I learned anything in your classes!!!"
"Well, as I recall from your grades, you didn't learn very much!"
"Jeez, Babs, I said. If you're done busting my butt, let me take you to a late lunch... and then I looked at my watch... or an early dinner!!"
"I'd love it, she said. Let me drop off this stuff at the office, and then go home and change. How about I meet you somewhere??"
"Sounds like a plan", I said, and suggested a nice Italian restaurant we both knew. "Let me go home and get out of my Ice cream outfit too," I said. "Wouldn't want to spill spaghetti sauce on it, eh?" She replied. "Hey, Darrell is welcome to come along as well," I said, meaning her husband. It was at that moment her face fell. "Well, she said, Darrell and I are in the middle of a divorce. I don't think it would be such a good idea for him to come along". "Oh my God, Babs, I said. I had no idea. I'm so sorry. "
"Shit happens" she said, and had a look on her face, such as I had never seen before. And hope never to see again. "Ok, I said. I'll see you in a couple of hours. "
